1. An electropneumatic transducer comprising:
a lower block assembly, the lower block assembly comprising a lower housing configured to receive a supply nozzle, the supply nozzle in fluid communication with a supply port and in intermittent fluid communication with an output port of the lower housing through an internal fluid passageway, the lower housing further comprising an exhaust nozzle in fluid communication with an exhaust port and in intermittent fluid communication with the output port of the lower housing through the internal fluid passageway; and
an upper block assembly, the upper block assembly comprising an upper housing configured to receive a coil and an armature, the upper housing, coil and armature defining a latching electromagnetic circuit that provides alternating contact of the armature with the supply nozzle and the exhaust nozzle of the lower housing assembly.
2. The electropneumatic transducer as defined in claim 1, wherein the coil is arranged to receive an electrical input signal to activate and de-activate the electromagnetic circuit to thereby latch the output port at a high output state and a low output state.
3. The electropneumatic transducer as defined in claim 2, wherein the transducer is arranged to alternately modulate fluid flow through the supply nozzle and the exhaust nozzle to substantially eliminate constant flow through the transducer.
4. The electropneumatic transducer as defined in claim 1, wherein the lower housing is further configured to receive a bias spring adjustment screw and the upper housing is further configured to receive a bias spring.
5. The electropneumatic transducer as defined in claim 4, wherein the bias spring and bias spring adjustment screw cooperate to provide a bias spring force to bias the armature of the electromagnetic circuit.
6. The electropneumatic transducer as defined in claim 5, wherein the electropneumatic transducer is arranged for connection to a pneumatic supply source, and further wherein the transducer is arranged to operate on pneumatic supply pressures in a range of approximately 20 psig to 150 psig.
7. The electropneumatic transducer as defined in claim 1, wherein a predetermined thermal expansion co-efficient of the upper housing assembly and the lower housing assembly cooperate to provide an operational temperature range of about +85 Celsius to \u221260 Celsius.
8. The electropneumatic transducer as defined in claim 1, wherein internal fluid passageway further comprises a pressure chamber, a supply port bore, an exhaust port bore and an output bore.
9. The electropneumatic transducer as defined in claim 7, wherein the supply nozzle and the exhaust nozzle have a predetermined perpendicularity relative to a cylinder defined by a first section of the supply nozzle and the exhaust nozzle along a longitudinal axis of the supply nozzle and the exhaust nozzle.
10. The electropneumatic transducer as defined in claim 2, wherein the armature includes a plurality of hinges, the hinges providing a spring force moment opposing a magnetic force moment to alternatively latch the armature immediately adjacent to and nonadjacent to the upper housing.
11. A latching electropneumatic transducer, comprising:
a pneumatic circuit, the pneumatic circuit comprising a lower housing having a supply port, an exhaust port and an output port in fluid communication through an internal fluid passageway and a pressure chamber;
an electromagnetic circuit, the electromagnetic circuit comprising an upper housing configured to receive a coil and an armature, the armature movable in response to an electrical input signal, the electromagnetic circuit defining a spring force moment and a magnetic force moment, the spring force moment and the magnetic force moment cooperating to alternatively latch the armature immediately adjacent to and nonadjacent to the upper housing.
12. The latching electropneumatic transducer as defined in claim 11, wherein a power of the electrical signal is substantially zero when the armature is latched immediately adjacent to and nonadjacent to the upper housing.
13. The latching electropneumatic transducer as defined in claim 11, wherein a supply nozzle is in fluid communication with a supply port and in intermittent fluid communication with an output port through an internal fluid passageway and an exhaust nozzle in fluid communication with an exhaust port and in intermittent fluid communication with the output port through the internal fluid passageway.
14. The latching electropneumatic transducer as defined in claim 11, wherein the latching electropneumatic transducer is alternatively configurable for direct-acting operation or reverse-acting operation.
15. The latching electropneumatic transducer as defined in claim 11, wherein the transducer can operate on a pneumatic supply pressures in a range of approximately 20 psig to 150 psig.
16. The latching electropneumatic transducer as defined in claim 11, wherein a predetermined thermal expansion co-efficient of the upper housing assembly and the lower housing assembly cooperate to provide an operational temperature range of about +85 Celsius to \u221260 Celsius.
17. The latching electropneumatic transducer as defined in claim 11, wherein the internal fluid passageway further comprises a pressure chamber, a supply port bore, an exhaust port bore and an output bore.
18. The latching electropneumatic transducer as defined in claim 13, wherein the supply nozzle and the exhaust nozzle have a predetermined perpendicularity relative to a cylinder defined by a first section of the supply nozzle and the exhaust nozzle along a longitudinal axis of the supply nozzle and the exhaust nozzle.
19. An electropneumatic switch valve, comprising:
a pneumatic circuit coupled to a pressurized fluid source;
an electromagnetic circuit coupled to the pneumatic circuit; and
a control module connected to the electromagnetic circuit that provides a first control signal inducing a first state of the pneumatic circuit, a second control signal inducing a second state of the pneumatic circuit, a third control signal inducing a third state of the pneumatic circuit and a fourth control signal inducing a fourth state of the pneumatic circuit.
20. The electropneumatic switch valve as defined in claim 19, wherein the first control signal and the third control signals are substantially equivalent.
21. The electropneumatic switch valve as defined in claim 19, wherein the second control signal motivates the electropneumatic switch valve from the first state to the third state.
22. The electropneumatic switch valve as defined in claim 19, wherein the fourth control signal motivates the electropneumatic switch valve from the third state to the first state.
23. The electropneumatic switch valve as defined in claim 19, wherein the first state of the pneumatic circuit corresponds to a first quiescent condition of the pneumatic circuit, the second state of the pneumatic circuit corresponds to a first non-quiescent condition of the pneumatic circuit, the third state of the pneumatic circuit corresponds to a second quiescent condition and the fourth state corresponds to a second non-quiescent condition.
24. The electropneumatic switch valve as defined in claim 23, wherein the first quiescent condition of the pneumatic circuit is at a pressure substantially equal to a fluid pressure at an exhaust port and the second quiescent condition of the pneumatic circuit is at a pressure substantially equal to a fluid pressure at a supply port.
25. The electropneumatic switch valve as defined in claim 23, wherein the first non-quiescent condition of the pneumatic circuit is characterized by a positive pressure gradient within the pneumatic circuit and the second non-quiescent condition of the pneumatic circuit is characterized by negative pressure gradient pneumatic circuit.
26. The electropneumatic switch valve as defined in claim 23, wherein the first non-quiescent condition of the pneumatic circuit is characterized by a negative pressure gradient within the pneumatic circuit and the second non-quiescent condition of the pneumatic circuit is characterized by positive pressure gradient pneumatic circuit.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A tire made of a rubber-based material of black color comprising at least one attention-attracting design molded onto an outer surface of the tire, this material being a diene elastomer or rubber, i.e. an elastomer obtained at least in part from diene monomers, the design being visible in at least one color different from the black color of the rubber-based material due to the design having on its outer surface at least one light diffraction grating formed by a plurality of ridges or grooves of height H arranged parallel to one another with a period P.
2. The tire of claim 1, wherein the height H of the ridges is less than or equal to 1 micron and their period P is less than or equal to 1.5 micron.
3. The tire of claim 1, wherein the height H is between 0.17 and 0.23 micron.
4. The tire of claim 1, wherein one same design is formed of at least two portions, each portion having at its surface a diffraction grating formed of a plurality of striations, the orientations of the striations of the gratings being different from one another.
5. The tire of claim 4, wherein the difference between the angles of the striations in one portion of the design and in another portion of the same design is at least equal to 10\xb0.
6. The tire of claim 1, wherein the design has on its visible surface at least one diffraction grating whose characteristics enable a hologram to be seen, i.e. an image in three dimensions.
7. The tire of claim 1, wherein the tire material on which the design is arranged is free from waxes and anti-ozone or anti-oxidant agents.
8. The tire of claim 4, wherein the tire material on which the design is arranged is free from waxes and anti-ozone or anti-oxidant agents.
9. The tire of claim 6, wherein the tire material on which the design is arranged is free from waxes and anti-ozone or anti-oxidant agents.